What Can We Do Summary

There are two types of people, the oppressors and the oppressed. Since the beginning of time oppressors have knocked down others who they believed were lesser than themselves creating inequality and alienation amongst humans. How will the oppressed overcome oppression and change their situation? The key to successfully overcoming oppression is a pedagogy with the oppressed.

There has been a drastic change in the way we perceive the world and this can alter the way we see each other. We tend to jump onto a bandwagon because it seems easiest or because of one personal scenario. This is one of the main causes for prejudice and injustice. How a person reacts to being oppressed may bring out another side of them, but this side is their true self. This reaction speaks of his or her morals, ethics, and values. To these people, all the perpetrators appear the same, but it is known that while some may easily go along with it, some may choose to stand above it all. The concepts referenced to earlier will be soon elaborated on in further analysis as this essay goes on.

He begins with comparing the scenario that “ there is nothing to be done when the temperature outside is 85 degrees, and indoors the air conditioner has broken down; obviously when that happens there is nothing to do, except perhaps curse the day when one was born.” With the polar opposite of “ But when the temperature outdoors is below freezing, it takes a positive act of will on somebody’s part to set the temperature indoors at 85 degrees” (3). The usage of these sarcastic remarks shines light of the issue that society could be in control of the very factor that is oppressing them, yet choose to relay silence in fear of creating a bigger affair then

This analysis have shown me how important is to be faithful to your own principles, even when the world takes you to unknown. The knowledge of the society in which each one has to life is what shows that opposed positions that seem irreconcilable are part of a whole and as Collin’s suggests, each individual has to decide what is right or what is wrong in the society and then take a position and try to change what is wrong. (Hentrhone,

Oppression exists at varying levels and the way in which we choose to view it can have a significant impact on our ability to break down the barriers that continue to oppress disenfranchised groups. Much like the analogy of a caged bird facing both individual cage wires as well as the confining cage as a whole, examining the microscopic and macroscopic levels of oppression is essential in furthering our understanding of social justice. Long-term and persisting injustices towards subordinate social groups can also lead to internalized oppression, creating a complex system of disempowerment and self-loathing. As members of society committed to social change, it is important that we continue to educate ourselves on the issues of oppression and oppressed groups while ensuring we act at allies and advocates in our efforts to tackle these barriers.

To start, the article, ‘“All Lives Matter’ Disregards Race-Based Inequality” by David Theo Goldberg, sheds light on the modern discrimination in America. It also shows how powerful, political leaders

In her 2012 TEDx Talk, “How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion”, Peggy McIntosh discusses how race is a privilege system and how white people are given an advantage without even realizing it. In her lecture McIntosh says, “These privilege systems, which locate us above and below the hypothetical line of social justice, were invented and we were born into them. And we all know both sides and that is the reason for compassion, about the sadness of having been born into systems that gave us such… such different ‘politics of location’”. Here, it seems that McIntosh’s main goal is to inform people that we are born into a privilege system because of our skin color and the only way that we can prevent a social hierarchy we must be able to recognize that we are all different. I think that the human population should be able to identify that people are different and have compassion for the differences in society our world today could have little to no race issues. After listening to McIntosh’s arguments, I support the ideas she makes throughout her works and I find that privilege systems are still prominent in today’s society.

At a young age many people learned if presenting a problem, they must have a solution other wise the problem becomes an empty complaint. Has anyone complained about inequality? Does everyone treat people equally? Many people protest their thoughts on inequality. Some do not understand the problem, since they stand higher up in the food chain of wealth. Glenn Reynolds, professor, writer, and blogger wrote an interesting piece talking about ideas and his thoughts on how to make the world treat and think of each other equally. His article goes into many specify ideas that help pursued his audience. Mr. Reynolds builds his argument by staying on topic, provides different numbers surveyed, and strong ideas on how to change the problem.

However, the process that people use often oversimplifies complex issues rather than taking a multi-faceted approach to solving problems. Therefore, to end the dangerous application of stereotypes, humans need to look at problems from varying angles, to discern what the real truths are. Gladwell discusses this when he says, “Here, in short, was a man with an authority problem, with a strong sense the system wasn’t working, who had been the recent target of humiliation” (156). While Bernie Goetz made false conclusions about his own external environment, society too, was wrong in their judgement of why Bernie Goetz decided to kill four young individuals. Fighting fire with fire miserably misses out on the proper way to potentially deal with societal issues. For example, Goetz was often teased by his peers in his early childhood, often leaving school in tears. This is important because the impact of being socially outcasted had a lasting effect on Goetz, and the harsh environment was not properly conducive to his social development. Thus, it makes sense then, that this man was someone who found himself in troubling situations, often fighting against authority and taking matters into his own hands. This connects to O’Brien when he says, “It’s about love and memory, It’s about sorrow, It’s about sisters who never write back and people who never listen” (325). This shows the answer to the issue of oversimplifying our outer environment. The main problem that plagues everyone around the world is their inability to listen to each other. Nobody cares about the problems Bernie Goetz faced that could have stunted his social development, they only care about him shooting four innocent individuals. Nobody cares about the process, they are more interested in the results. However, the reality is the process matters just as much as the end result. People

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” (Randy Pausch). This quote by Pausch explains the struggle of those who can only go so far, with the life they were born into. Without a doubt, this statement has been proven, over the course of history. For example, women had the unfortunate role, that throughout time, they have had to live a life below men. This includes not having the same rights, opportunities and power. This can also be said for African Americans during the 1900’s. Without a doubt, have both parties had to face obstacles, due to the opinions of society. Even after facing those obstacles however, it is important to realize not all races and genders have become equal, contrary to those who believe that

From the start the novel is laden with the pressures that the main characters are exposed to due to their social inequality, unlikeness in their heredity, dissimilarity in their most distinctive character traits, differences in their aspirations and inequality in their endowments, let alone the increasingly fierce opposition that the characters are facing from modern post-war bourgeois society.

There are a multitude of ways we can address the inequality occurring as we live. To begin, those who are privileged need to acknowledge that they are and how it effects targeted groups such as diverse races. Subsequently, privileged individuals must actively listen to their targeted peers and empathize towards their struggles. By listening, we can foster the steps of development towards combating various forms of

Oppression and discrimination has plagued our society since early times. As a collective society one would think that over time oppression and discrimination would turn into acceptance and equality. Conversely, our society has taken sluggish steps towards diversity, acceptance and equality. Our society is focused on labeling people and putting them into limiting boxes. Oppression occurs across various groups of people based on gender, sex, race, religion, and disability. Members of these diverse groups are discriminated among work places, schools, and other places. Work places and schools promote diversity and non-discrimination, however little seems to be practiced. Oppression across generation leaves damaging consequences hindering society in the growth towards a more accepting environment.

In “The Volunteer” the story is told from one person’s perspective which allows readers to really see what human interactions are being demonstrated. There is a sense of stress and sadness when it comes to human contact. In the beginning of this story there is that feeling of separation between the women who is volunteering and the children who are living in the foster home. It also takes a while for her to relate to the other adults working in the home. She has no connections with either of them besides for being in the same room, so she

Freire’s ideas continue to be reflected in the plights of the main characters as he examines the value of solidarity and fellowship in combatting oppression. He also puts emphasis on the fact that one cannot be